4 of 7Autoweek staffers returned 21 mpg in the 2012 Mercedes E350 4Matic.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

5 of 7"I’m impressed with the sound and potency of this V6. It’s strong on the expressway and returns a refined yet sporty performance feeling. " Greg Migliore

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

6 of 7The interior is typical Mercedes-Benz.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

7 of 7The E350 4Matic does well in the snow.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic coupe is a sleek and smart execution of the modern luxury coupe. The looks inside and out are sharp with an appropriate amount of shiny jewelry, the stance is confident and I like the long hood fronted by the upright grille. It all has character, and it’s a dramatic improvement compared with the curvy styling of just a few years back.

I’m impressed with the sound and potency of this V6. It’s strong on the expressway and returns a refined yet sporty performance feeling. The one thing I hate: this car—and other Mercedes—has a tremendous lag from launch. It’s hesitation. It makes this machine feel slower than it is. And it’s annoying. It undermines an otherwise sterling engine and seven-speed automatic combination.

The cabin is quiet. The soaring, see-through roof makes for a majestic atmosphere, and the four-seat layout looks and feels athletic. I love the dials in the instrument cluster, and the materials and dark colors present well. The chassis is comfortable, and even stark road imperfections don’t really upset this coupe. It’s big but not floaty or barge-like. I found little difference between sport mode, which is activated via a button in the center console, and eco mode, which is the default setting. The E350, fortified with 4Matic, makes for a brisk, fun personal luxury car.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR DAVID ARNOUTS: I had just spent a night in an Audi A5 coupe and thought this would be a good matchup considering price and style of the two cars.

Even with less power than the Benz, and a lower price tag, I preferred the A5 to this E350. It’s not that I would reproof the E350, because it is a good car, but in danger of sounding snobbish, the E feels like an “entry-level” Benz.

Compared to the Audi A5, the Benz is better equipped from the start, and that is a given. It may be my previous run-ins with the upper-level Mercedes that leaves me wanting so much more from this car.

Inside the cabin, it has the familiar continuity of other classes like the CL we had not that long ago, just without the options or controls. The fit and finish and appearance is of good quality; while it may be “cheap” in the Benz universe, it hardly appears that way.

Operating the interface for all the techno-gadgetry does take some experience and time if you haven’t been in a late-model Mercedes as of late.

There are great things here, including the navigation with 3D modeling of structures, as well as traffic indication with the classic look of the old AM radio interface for the satellite radio and big silver dial to control it all.

The seats are firm and once settled-in become more comfortable than initial impressions led me to believe. The backseat looks usable, and the panoramic sunroof helps to make the coupe feel cavernous when looking back. There is even a nifty privacy screen for the back window. At first I thought it to be a bit ostentatious on a $53,425 car, but after driving both with and without, I relented to wanting it.

The exterior looks more angular and aggressive than previous iterations, and the updated front-end with daytime LED’s sits quite well on the car.

The coupe version appears to be a sedan without the back doors and just doesn’t wear the coupe style as well as the A5.

Criticism aside, this is still a Mercedes-Benz. When you can swim in this pond you are assured a minimum level of quality that Mercedes wouldn’t let out the door without their approval and that is a fine thing indeed.

Is it the best Mercedes has to offer? Absolutely not. But if you are on a budget that is higher than most, and lower than some while dying to have the three-pointed star in your garage, the E350 may just be what you are looking for.